“Is there? We were childhood friends,” she replied unconcernedly. “I am no longer a child.”
Simeon looked as though he was about to push for more information but nodded at the end of the road instead. “Go left,” he ordered.
“Do you like to gamble?” Georgiana asked, desperate to stop him probing further. She had no idea why she chose to ask him but she did.
“Not on a curricle,” Simeon replied flatly. “Now slow down because the corner up ahead is a sharp one.”
Georgiana dutifully did as she was told and slowed the horse to a fast walk.
“Where do we go now?” She looked behind them as she asked and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw it empty of other traffic, in particular Will.
“Are you alright?” Simeon asked curiously having watched the swinging emotions on her face.
“Yes, fine,” Georgiana assured him. “Let’s go back, shall we?”
“But I had hoped that we were might have a picnic while we are out,” Simeon protested. “There is a wonderful spot just up ahead.”
“No, thank you,” Georgiana said firmly.
Suddenly, she was in no mood to pander to the demands of any man, including Simeon. Although it galled her to admit it, she had risked enough for one day–enough of her life, and enough of her reputation. A picnic alone with Simeon was going too far even for her. The only problem was that she had no idea where they were.
“Where do we turn around?” she asked eyeing the road ahead.
“Let’s have something to eat first,” he persisted. “We have to enter the field to turn the curricle around. If we are going so far as the field-”
“No,” Georgiana said firmly. Rather than wait for instructions, she did exactly as he had told her and swung the curricle into a field a little further down the road. She quickly re-joined the road so that they were heading back to Mecklemerry.
“There,” she said with no small measure of relief. “See how easy that was? Now we can get back before our absence causes yet more gossip.”
It was evident from the thunderous look on his face that Simeon didn’t like to be thwarted. He hadn’t uttered a word but the sudden tension in him was distinctly hostile. She half expected him to ask for the reins back, and that left her in a quandary. If she gave them back to him then she would be at his mercy and he was apt to stop off somewhere for the picnic he was so determined to have. However, this wasn’t her curricle. Did she have the right to keep them if he wanted to take control again?
“Give me the reins back before we join the main road,” Simeon demanded with a sulky pout as soon as the village came into view.
Aware of the other people on the road, and the safety of the village up ahead, Georgiana did just that and took the opportunity to put as much physical distance between them on the seat as possible. It was then that she took the opportunity to take a sneak peek at him.
Unsurprisingly, he looked like a mardy child who had just been told to go to bed early. There was also something else lurking in his gaze, something more. There was a hardened glint there that was faintly sinister. She shivered and suspected she was being warned about something only had no idea what. Whatever it was she was seeing made her distinctly uncomfortable, and confirmed that her decision not to take a picnic with him had been the right one.
By the time the carriage rumbled to a stop outside of her aunt’s house they had drawn the attention of several locals who stopped what they were doing to watch them. Uncomfortably aware that they were making a spectacle of themselves riding out alone together, Georgiana kept her gaze lowered and willed Simeon to get them to the house quickly.
“Thank you,” she murmured politely when he handed her down. To her dismay, he insisted on escorting her to the front door. “It was wonderful, thank you.”
Simeon nodded. Rather than speak, he lifted her hand pressed a lingering kiss onto the back of it. It appeared that his earlier sulks had vanished because there was no trace of discontent in the friendly gaze he kept pinned on her. In fact, unless she was mistaken, there was a slight hint of mischief. It was as though he was deliberately trying to make her uncomfortable.
I need to be wary around him.
She realised then just how easy it would be for him to destroy her reputation completely. Quickly yanking her hand away, she pushed open the front door and turned toward him to block him from following her.
“I should like to call upon you first thing in the morning,” he promised huskily, standing far too close to her for comfort or propriety.
Georgiana backed into the house warily, and half-closed the door to stop him from coming closer. “What for?” she asked but found herself staring into thin air.
Stupefied, she peered around the edge of the door in time to watch him clamber quickly aboard his curricle and drive away.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“It looks like you have an admirer,” Ruth said from her position beside the window in the study.
Georgiana entered the room, a worried frown marring her brow.